VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 2006 PREVIEW

LAST SEASON:

2005 results:	12-9-7; 45 points; +16 diff; 3^rd place; lost in playoff quarterfinal
RD's 2005 prediction:	13-4-9, 5^th place

Bob Lilley’s first season as head coach of the Whitecaps went as expected, with Vancouver boasting a stingy defense (second only to Montreal). After a pair of scoreless draws against Richmond in the first round of the playoffs, the Whitecaps lost on penalty kicks. The club was unstoppable at Swangard, going 9-4-1 with an amazing 20 goal differential for the 14 matches. Forward Jason Jordan ran away with the big year-end awards, including the goal and scoring titles, as well as league MVP.

Jordan

Klein

Wicks

Testo

Woolfolk

Caig

Seacrest, Out:

F Ian Fuller (2+2=6); one TOW

D Mark Watson; 1217 minutes

D Liam deSilva; 1205 minutes

GK Mike Franks; 0.882 GAA; 7 SO; one TOW

Back in the Fold

F Jason Jordan (17+3=37); MVP; All-League First Team

F Joey Gjersten (3+3=9)

M Steve Klein (7+4=18); All-League First Team; five TOWs

M Martin Nash (2+5=9)

M Jeff Clarke (1+1=3); 1938 minutes; one TOW

D Geordie Lyall; 2148 minutes; two TOWs

GK Josh Wicks; 0.545 GAA; 5 SO; one TOW

Fresh Meat

F Corey Woolfolk; from Puerto Rico

F Eduardo Sebrango; from Montreal

F Sita Taty-Matondo; from Toronto

M Jay Alberts; from Minnesota

M David Testo; from Columbus (MLS)

D Adrian Cann; from Montreal

GK Tony Caig; from Newcastle United (England)

Franks

Watson

Fuller

THE LOWDOWN:

Not that they needed it, but Vancouver underwent their biggest roster overhaul in their two-decade history. Not that they needed it, but they’ve found a treasure trove of proven scoring machines to take some of the heat away from Jordan. Not that they needed it, but the Whitecaps made big upgrades at midfield and defense. In short, they were one of the few clubs that didn’t need improvement, but were also one of the few that really gained strength during the off-season. Vancouver is Montreal’s only real threat for the title.